What a Drag!

As we come to the end of our flight unit we find ourselves experimenting with the effect of drag on paper airplanes (it slows them down so they don't travel as far) and parachutes (they will have a slower descent). 

Science Explorations!

     Our learning about air continues!

Here we "submerge" a candle and watch it burn!  How is it possible?  The beaker traps the air and allows us to push the candle under the water. Once the air inside is burned up, the candle goes out.

Air is strong enough to lift objects!

Designing balloon powered rockets that propel along a string to the other side of the classroom. 

Designing hovercrafts that trap air and create lift!!

Proof of Air

We've been on a quest to prove that air exists. It's tricky because you can't really see it or touch it which is how we prove other things exist. So we have completed several experiments to try and prove that air:  takes up space, has mass, has pressure,  has volume, and that it can be compressed. 

Our experiments have been wet and messy but that's totally cool because often messy learning is the best learning. 

Here we were submerging a paper ball attached to the bottom of a beaker. When we pulled it out, the ball of paper was dry!!!  What does that prove?

Here a bottle covered by a balloon is placed in very hot water. Slowly the balloon inflates!  What does that prove?

Here we pull plungers out of syringes while covering the hole. One girl has her ears covered. Hmmmm?  What's about to happen?